Crime and Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Situations

How We Organize for Crime & Emergency Situations

Good community organization is an important element of coping with crime and public safety, disaster preparedness, and emergency situations. In the event of a major occurrence it is likely that an official response and/or support will not be available for a number of days.

We need to be prepared, not only in our own homes, but across the community.

Be Vigilant

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH / BLOCK CAPTAINS
A COMMUNITY’S BEST PREVENTION STRATEGY AGAINST CRIME

• WSSM has long coordinated a neighborhood watch – block captain program to reduce crime.  We maintain lists of block captains or co-captains, provide training and information for captains and empower these volunteers to organize their block.  That task can be as simple as creating, maintaining and sharing a block roster and forwarding timely information from WSSM and LAPD to neighbors, or as involved as one might like to help foster a sense of community on one’s block.  Block captains are provided with a captain’s notebook, sample forms, and receive emails from the WSSM Block Captain coordinators as needed.Some block captains go well beyond gathering neighbors’ information and making the roster available to neighbors.  Some block captains choose to organize a gathering or block party annually or biannually with and for their neighbors so that folks get to know one another.Knowing who your neighbors are, what cars “belong” at the house and becoming more familiar with their comings and goings goes a long way to preventing crimes.  Many neighbors are able to recognize activities that are out of the ordinary and can contact their neighbors and/or LAPD when deemed necessary. This has halted many burglaries in the past.  Email blast lists kept by a block also are used by neighbors to alert others of suspicious activities or individuals on the block.Organized blocks are eligible to post Neighborhood Watch signs at residences and on specified street poles.Our Neighborhood Watch program is coordinated with LAPD and our Senior Lead Officer is available to help support the organizing of blocks.

  If you do not know who your block captain is, there is a good chance that your block does not have an active captain!  The structure and trainings were on hiatus during COVID and we are restarting now.  To find out more about being a block captain or sharing the job with a neighbor, contact:

• PAT TOBIAS, Block Captain Coordinator:
  310-474-4223   ptobias@wssmhoa.org

Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch activities are meant to ensure that neighbors recognize one another and know when something out of the ordinary is occurring on their block. Neighborhood Watch fosters a sense of looking out for another.

We encourage neighbors to:

• Report unusual or suspicious behavior to LAPD immediately (recording descriptions of individuals and license plates of any vehicles involved
• Report any crimes (large or small) to LAPD- Butler Station
• Inform a trusted neighbor if their home will be unoccupied for an extended period. (It is important to leave a way of contacting the neighbor should an emergency arise.)
• Look after their neighbor’s house when they are away and ask them to reciprocate. This includes collecting mail, newspapers and other deliveries that would indicate that no one is home.
• Ask a neighbor who is home during the day to receive or look out for package deliveries.
• Attend any block meetings/neighborhood watch meetings and the WSSM annual meeting.
• Above all, be concerned and be watchful as these are the most effective ways to prevent and reduce crime and make our neighborhood safe.

For a Neighborhood Watch on your block contact our Block Captain Committee.

The LAPD has additional helpful information and advice on how to run a successful Neighborhood Watch program.

Disaster Preparedness

Ready Your LA Neighborhood (RYLAN)

Ready Your LA Neighborhood (RYLAN) helps your family and your neighborhood prepare for disasters. RYLAN gives you the steps to take immediately after a disaster to help keep you and your family safe. It provides the tools to prepare and organize your neighborhood to respond together in that first hour after a disaster to reduce injuries, protect your property and the environment, and most importantly, to save lives.

RYLAN can help with a neighborhood response plan, training, alerts and neighborhood communication techniques.

Notify LA

Sign up for the city’s emergency notification program, Notify LA. When disasters occur, the City will alert you with specific instructions on what to do. Text READY to 888-777 to sign up.

County Emergency Survival Guide

LA County makes available a comprehensive (100-page) emergency survival guide.

 Download an emergency survival guide to keep on hand.

CERT

CERT (Community Response Emergency Team) teaches and empowers us — ordinary citizens — to safely and effectively respond to a disaster or a major emergency. This valuable course is designed to help you protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood in an emergency situation.

Basic disaster response skills covered in CERT include:

• Fire safety,
• Light search and rescue
• Team organization and disaster medical operations
• How to prepare for emergencies
• What supplies you should NOW have in your house
• How much food and water to have on hand

CERT members receive 17 1/2 hours (one day a week for seven weeks) of initial training. Training is provided free of charge within the city of Los Angeles.

 See the schedule of CERT classes.

Current Crime Map & Crime Statistics

For recent crime statistics, trends, and news in the Westwood South area, see our Crime & Safety posts.

CrimeMapping.com works with law enforcement agencies throughout North America to provide the public with  information about recent crime activity in their neighborhood, and to assist police departments in reducing crime through a better-informed citizenry.

You can easily access a crime map of our area (please note the crime markers you see below are not current.):